Album review: Steven Wilson – NSRGNTS RMXS

The remix seems to be making something of a comeback, especially in indie-rock circles, but beyond the early-nineties flirtations with crossover styles, regular rock acts have generally steered clear of them. Steven Wilson (dude outta Porcupine Tree, if the name’s unfamiliar), is no regular rock act, though – and whether it was entirely his own idea to get a remix collection done for his recent solo album Insurgentes or not, it’s a bold and rare thing to hear from a man best known for being a leading luminary of contemporary progressive rock.

What needs to be made totally clear is that this is a collector’s item, with K-Scope trying out the “deluxe versions” business model to see if they can still shift physical units. If you’re not a fan of Wilson’s already, I’d be surprised if you found NSRGNTS RMXS even slightly interesting. These aren’t the dancefloor-friendly cuts that come on the B-side of singles from hip young haircut bands, and Steven Wilson is unlikely to become the overnight toast of the clubland set… unless sitting still and listening has suddenly become la mode in the nightspots of the world.

Second point: NSRGNTS RMXS is not a reworking of Insurgentes as a whole. In fact, once a few tracks have been done twice by different knob-twiddlers, the CD only contains four different source tunes (though some of the special editions apparently add two more versions of an otherwise left-out track). This is an album for serious music geeks only; more specifically, for serious music geeks who like some Steven Wilson.

Exactly what that demographic is looking for in an album is beyond my ken, but I can say with certainty that I quite enjoyed it – I’ve got a soft spot for ambience and soundscaping, and there’s plenty of that to be found right from the outset, with the slurring vocals and rumble-glitch percussion of “Harmony Korine” as reworked by David A Sitek (the TV On The Radio fella).

Next up, Dälek renders “Get All You Deserve” as an ambient smear that might have been produced in the echoing and dusty interior of some ancient Persian mosque. It’s all lazy breaks and the sort of tension noises you expect in science fiction thriller movies; not exactly thrilling listening, but great atmospheres that reminded me somewhat of Lustmord’s more mellow moments. Then Engineers bring their fathom-deep soundscapes to bear on “Abandoner”, which becomes almost plaintive as a result, like dealing with the aftermath of being dumped while also shouldering a real heavy Sunday morning comedown that’s fuzzing up your brainwaves.

“Salvaging” sees Pat Mastelloto bring a subtly martial vibe to the proceedings, scattering snares and staccato bass producing a palpable sense of creeping menace lurking around the corner. By bringing Wilson’s guitar work to the fore (albeit slathered in ring modulation and hell knows what else), Mastelloto delivers the heaviest and darkest track of the collection so far, but also the one with the most melodic moments. The insectoid armageddon noises at the end are not recommended for the faint of heart, however.

Competition winner Lukasz Langa’s Danse Macabre mix makes a totally different meal of “Abandoner”; it’s still haunting and plaintive, but he’s brought the piano forwards and stayed truer to the original piece. Wilson’s voice peeps out as if through the keyhole of a cupboard, making an already lonesome track all that more harrowing; the minor chords are like tiny pins being poked into your heart-meat. This is probably the most subtle remix of the set, and while it adds some new elements it leaves Wilson’s song largely intact, to great effect.

Last but not least, Fear Falls Burning’s take on “Get All You Deserve” is, again, more true to the original than the version before it… but not by much, to be honest. Everything ends in a slowly churning tide of guitar washes and drones… an appropriately stately and powerful ending to an understated forty minutes of textural exploration. If you’re fond of sitting still and paying attention, or if you like music with less in-your-face elements for when you’re working, or if you’re just fond of a bit of the medicinal green, NSRGNTS RMXS will probably be a satisfying listen. Whether that would still apply after you’d spent the recommended retail price on it, however, is another question entirely.